The Healthiest Thing You Can Do This Afternoon

Hola! I just got back from a women's mental health conference in Spain. While I certainly learned a lot in the seminars, I admit I got even more out of my daily "siesta," the post-lunch nap that's pretty much required for Spanish citizens.

There's nothing like a nap! I woke from mine each afternoon feeling refreshed, renewed and ready to take on the rest of my day. Compare that to my usual afternoon frenzy when I'm simultaneously eating lunch, preparing for a meeting and rushing to catch a bus to get across town. Phew--I'm exhausted even thinking about it.

The benefits of getting enough sleep (7-9 hours per night, depending on the person) are legion: The well-rested are thinner, healthier, less stressed and better able to concentrate and learn. But it’s not always realistic to get in enough shut-eye, especially in our work-hard-then-play-hard, go-go-go society. (In my case, vacation is often the only time I manage an 8-hour night!)

In a pinch, a nap can be key for a happier you. Not only do naps provide similar perks to getting enough sleep at night, but they also keep your brain activity high throughout the day, whereas non-nappers suffer from declining activity as the day goes on, according to a study by the Salk Institute for Biological Studies.

So, do you need a nap? Listen to your body. Just as the best time to eat is when you’re hungry, the best time to nap is when you’re tired (rather than when you’re bored or trying to procrastinate). One exception: If you struggle with insomnia, you shouldn’t nap because it could make it harder to get to sleep come bedtime.

How long should you nap? Around 30 minutes. The advice here varies, but most experts agree you should lie down for long enough to get some restoration but not too long so you wake up groggy.

How can you convince your boss to open up a nap room in your office? You’re on your own there. In other words, I get it, a daily nap isn’t feasible for all of us. So until that nap room materializes, a girl can dream–or book a trip to Spain!

Happy napping!

Dr. Catherine Birndorf is a psychiatrist specializing in women’s health, founding director of the Payne Whitney Women’s Program at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital in NYC, co-author of The Nine Rooms of Happiness and SELF’s Happiness Expert.

Got an issue with your job, your boyfriend or your roommate? Dr. Birndorf can help! Write to her, and her advice for you could appear in a future blog or issue of SELF.